Tag: Samuel Adams

Last Saturday, a few friends and I went to Brrrfest 2013. Once again, like many of the recent beer events, this one featured a “Brewmaster” session, with advanced entry. If you read my post about what to look for at beer events, here’s what I saw at Brrrfest:

It was a very fast entry to the event. As soon as we walked into the building, ID’s were checked, then we dropped off our tickets and picked up the event tasting glass and program, then went to stand in line. As soon as the doors opened, all 400 Brewmasters got into the event within 5 minutes, which was great. There was a ton of room for the first hour, and my friends and I could go explore the different brewers and reconvene to discuss the highlights. The glass was a commemorative one, but I do wish it was a globe or tulip style, instead of the kolsch-style glass.

The Sparely Populated Brewmaster Session

Although the written program didn’t highlight any special beers, the vendors at the event had a large selection of beers. I was a bit disappointed several of the bigger names in brewing weren’t at the event (Samuel Adams, Founder’s, and Stone Brewing to name a few), but the Iowa breweries, including several new breweries, represented very well. In my opinion, two of the best breweries at the event were Peace Tree (in Knoxville, Iowa) and Van Houzen, a new brewery in Newton, Iowa. Peace Tree had three different ice beers, made from three different flagship beers (Rye Porter, Belgian Blonde, and Hop Wrangler). They were very good, and unique to the event. Van Houzen had several of their beers on tap, and when I went to try the one in the program, Symphony Imperial Double Chocolate Stout, I noticed the rest of the lineup: a Double IPA, Belgian Tripel, and Robust Belgian White Beer, all 8% ABV and higher. Talk about some heavyweights! I had a chance to try them all, and they were great.

The Crowd at Brrfest

After the event, I asked my friend Macy her thoughts. She said, “The greatest benefit of attending an event like Brrrfest is that you have the opportunity to meet new breweries that you weren’t aware of before the event, yet still get to rub elbows with the brewers from some of your favorite breweries. The mix of exploration and celebration of expertly brewed beer makes for an event that is too good to miss! I’ll definitely be attending again next year.”

Based on this year, I will too, Macy! Did you attend Brrrfest? What was your favorite beer?

This past weekend, I had a unique opportunity. A friend of mine had the chance to buy a bottle of the 10th Anniversary Samuel Adams Utopias. Before the beer is complete, it undergoes quite a bit of a process; in addition to the standard beer ingredients there are also several sugars added (i.e. maple syrup). There is then a long fermentation time, utilizing several yeast strains, finishing with champagne yeast since it can handle the higher alcohol content. After it is done fermenting, it clocks in at a whopping 29% ABV. It is then aged in casks that previously held bourbon, rum, tawny port and ruby port.

All of this equals a very complex beer. There were three of us who tried it, and each of us has different experiences. One tasted a smoky maple flavor, another tasted a sweet vanilla and maple flavor. For some reason, I tasted a bit of banana flavor, with a lot of strong vanilla hints. It was very alcoholic, reminded me of a whiskey, and burned all the way into the stomach. It was definitely not for the faint of heart, but for a beer lover like myself, it was great.

For spring, Samuel Adams this year decided to go back to the Brewers’ Choice mix pack instead of again releasing the “American Originals” spring pack. The beers in this year’s spring mix pack show a few big changes, most notably Noble Pils is now a full-time beer, and no longer the spring seasonal.

In the pack, there are 2 bottles each of:

Boston Lager (Chosen by Jim Koch)

Irish Red (Chosen by Bob Cannon)

Black Lager (Chosen by Grant Wood)

Alpine Spring (Chosen by David Grinnell)

Mighty Oak Ale (Chosen by Andrew Lamont)

Whitewater IPA (Chosen by Dean Gianocostas)

It is a large change in a seasonal pack, where the only overlap is the Boston Lager and Irish Red. New to the pack is the new spring seasonal, Alpine Spring, which is a light, crisp lemon-like brew. Also in the pack, which is available in six-packs is the Whitewater IPA, which is a cross between a witbier and an IPA, similar to Boulevard’s Collaboration #2, the White IPA. Finally, the pack is rounded out by the Mighty Oak Ale, which is a carmel-flavored amber ale with vanilla and oak notes.

Have you tried the Brewers’ Choice Spring Variety Pack? What did you think? Which ones did you like? Which ones didn’t you like?

Samuel Adams has once again announced the arrival of winter with the release of this year’s Winter Classics Variety Pack.

In the pack, there are 2 bottles each of:

Boston Lager

Holiday Porter

Black and Brew Coffee Stout

Chocolate Bock

Winter Lager

Old Fezziwig Ale

Again this year, Samuel Adams has kept the spices low to ensure drinkable, non-cloying beers. Chocolate Bock is back, and I hope it’s only a matter of time before they make it available in 6/12-packs. This year’s addition to the mix pack is the Black and Brew Coffee Stout, which replaces White Ale in the pack. I had my first experience with Samuel Adams’ coffee stout several years ago (2008) when it went up against the Blackberry Witbier in the Beer Lover’s Choice where, sadly, it lost, even though it received my vote.

Have you tried the Winter Classics Variety Pack for 2011? Which ones in the pack do you like? Which ones don’t you like?

As the days grow shorter and the leaves start to fall, Samuel Adams has released their latest variety pack, the Harvest Collection Variety Pack, just in time for the season. As they usually do, they have replaced one beer style, the dunkelweizen, with another German style, the rauchbier, which is a beer that uses smoked malt to lend a smoky flavor to the beer (it goes great with grilling). I’m very interested in Samuel Adams’ take on the style.